Roberts: Kosovo to make painful compromise, autonomy for Serbs

Serbian ministry will gain autonomy and this will be part of the painful compromises Kosovo leadership will have to make. But it will be painful on both sides, says

Sir Ivor Roberts, former ambassador to the United Kingdom in Yugoslavia, Ireland and Italy, has said there is no doubt that the Serbian “Pakica will have autonomy”, but not rightly to secede.

In an interview for the Serbian media, Demostat, Roberts has said that “this is a bitter pill the Serbian side must swallow in exchange for”.

Serbia's “Pakica will have autonomy. This is part of the painful compromises Kosovo leadership will have to make. But it will be painful on both sides. The Serb minority, in turn, must admit that autonomy refers to local culture, economy and self-government, and not to the right to secede ʹ this is a bitter pill that the Serbian side should swallow in exchange. This will be a tough deal to finalize, but everyone should think of the long-term benefits, not short-term pain”, Roberts says.

The former British diplomat speaking of the Franco-German plan has said that “What's important is that the moment towards a final agreement is preserved and for this reason we should continue to discuss the form of that” agreement.